18. On entry into territorial waters Commissioner to take charge of immigrant labourers.

19. Recruitment, transport of Indian immigrant labourers to be free of charge to labourers.

General

20. No contracts of hire to be for longer than one month.

21. Advances by recruiters to immigrant labourers not recoverable.

22. Repatriation of Indian immigrant labourers.

23. Minister may make regulations.

24. Interpretation.

1 of 1923,

26 of 1937,

44 of 1942,

22 of 1945,

9 of 1966.

AN ORDINANCE to amend the law relating to Indian Immigrant Labourers.

[Date of Commencement: 11th April, 1923]

1. Short title.

This Ordinance may be cited as the Indian Immigrant Labour Ordinance.

2. Construction.

This Ordinance shall, so far as is consistent with the tenor thereof, be read and construed as one with the Service Contracts Ordinance and the Estate Labour (Indian) Ordinance.

Department of Indian Immigrant Labour

3. Appointment of Commissioners of Labour and officers.

There may be appointed a Commissioner of Labour and also such Deputy Commissioners, medical officers, inspectors, assistant inspectors, and as may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of this Ordinance, and such officers shall be deemed to be public officers within the meaning of the term as used in the Penal Code.

4. Commissioner to be head of department.

The Commissioner shall be head of the department of Labour, and shall be entrusted with the duty of carrying out the provisions of this or any other Ordinance relating to Indian immigrant labourers, and the measures adopted for the encouragement of the introduction of such immigrant labourers into Sri Lanka.

5. Annual report by Commissioner.

The Commissioner shall, not later than the thirty-first day of March in each year, present a report to the Minister dealing generally with the carrying out of the provisions of this Ordinance and dealing specially with such matters as he may consider to be worthy of particular attention, or as he may be directed to report upon by the general or specific instructions of the Minister.

6. Appointment of Emigration Commissioner.

There may be appointed any Emigration Commissioner for the purpose of supervising and controlling the recruitment of unskilled labourers in India with a view to their emigration to Sri Lanka.

7. Inspection.

(1) The Commissioner or any Deputy Commissioner, medical officer, inspector, or assistant inspector may at all reasonable times, with or without notice, enter upon any premises on which Indian immigrant labourers may be employed and inspect the condition—

(a) of such labourers;

(b) of their housing accommodation; and

(c) of the means provided for the medical treatment of such labourers.

(2) Any person refusing to allow the Commissioner, or any such Deputy Commissioner, medical officer, inspector, or assistant inspector, to enter and inspect as aforesaid, or hindering, molesting, or obstructing the Commissioner, or any such Deputy Commissioner, medical officer, inspector, or assistant inspector in or about any such entry or inspection, shall be guilty of a summary offence, and shall be liable on conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding one thousand rupees, or to imprisonment of either description for any period not exceeding six months, or to both.

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